We’ve known for some time that the rise of anti-trans politics in the Republican Party was likely an intentional tactic devised by political strategists in backrooms. But the recent events in Washington, D.C., and the eventual passage of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) bring the craven nature of those moves out into the light.

In the wake of same-sex marriage being legalized nationwide by the Supreme Court in 2015, Republicans needed another minority rights issue to get their base angry over. The growing mainstream awareness of trans people at the time played perfectly for those goals, and that move is evident in the escalation of anti-trans bills since 2015.